


Whispers of Wynn

by Morrigan (Caracle), Rei_Sonata



Category: Minecraft - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF, Wynncraft - Fandom, jacksepticeye, jacksepticeye egos - Fandom, jse egos - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Anti is Ba'kal, Anti isnt dead, BAMF Chase, Bamf JJ, Bamf Jackie, Bamf Marvin, Bamf Schneep, Character Development, Epic story length, Fantasy, Gen, Jack is Bob, Jacksepticeye egos, Spoilers, Team Dad Chase, What if the Egos were in Wynncraft, Which means hes sort of dead, WynnCraft, bear with us, but dont worry about it, eventually, he wont show up for AAAAAGGGEESSSSS but hes not dead., hopefully, not actually RPF, placed in tags since we see it on these stories a lot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25845454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caracle/pseuds/Morrigan, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rei_Sonata/pseuds/Rei_Sonata
Summary: Marvin, Chase, Jackie, and Henrik are former Frumans in the province of Wynn, joining up with Jameson Jackson to become a party of adventurers fighting the corruption that has plagued Wynn for centuries. Can they live up to the legends of the warrior Jack, or will they fall like many before them.** This story is based off the Minecraft Server Wynncraft, edited for plot, efficiency, and transfer to writing
Relationships: Chase & Henrik Von Schneeplestein, Chase & Jackieboyman, Chase & Jameson Jackson, Henrik Von Schneeplestein & Jackieboyman, Henrik von Schneeplestein & Jameson Jackson, Jameson Jackson & Jackieboyman, Marvin & Chase, Marvin & Henrik von Schneeplestein, Marvin & Jackieboyman, Marvin & Jameson Jackson
Kudos: 2





	1. I'm Nobody, Who Are You?

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from Emily Dickinsons Poem by that name.
> 
> Alternative Title; oh fuck, I guess we’ve made a party
> 
> Context Notes; If you've never played Wynncraft, the player can be one of five Classes. Warrior, Mage, Archer, Assassin, or Shaman. The rest should be self explanatory, but if we miss something let us know.

Blue, picturesque sky stretched as far as the eye could see. Bright scarlet flags with a golden insignia flapped in a gentle breeze from where they rested upon worn stone battlements. The city bustled with activity, merchants, and townspeople rushing about their business blending near seamlessly with figures clad in gleaming armor, and other less obvious ones bearing weapons of all kinds. In the throne room, the King of Ragni welcomes a new stream of hopeful adventurers having finished the journey from the region of Fruma. Chase saluted the king, grateful for the reassuring weight of his bow strapped across his back, before turning to the magician next to him. The two smiled at each other when their eyes crossed paths. They had talked a small amount on the way to the castle and had grown to be something resembling friends. Marvin, if Chase remembered correctly, was absent-mindedly tapping his worn wooden staff on the cobblestone flooring, Chase supposed it was due to nerves and restlessness. As the King finished his speech about his gratefulness for their help, a commotion grabbed attention behind them; peering over the crowd, they watched as another pair tumbled through the doorway to stand before the king. Both were taller than Chase, though the one carrying a spear was broader whilst the shaman appeared leaner much like Marvin. The king looked at the two of them expectantly, as if waiting for an explanation, at which point the warrior seemed to sputter for a moment before launching into an elaborate story similar to Chase and Marvin’s own. Fruman recruits for the Ragni forces, whose carriage had failed along the way and were then forced to fight their way into Ragni past scattered roaming corpses. The calmness and lack of surprise from the Ragni monarch caused a rope of unease to coil within Chase- how often was Ragni sieged by the Corruption that such things were no longer cause for alarm? The king quickly summarized the general speech he had gone through with the others and each recruit was handed some sort of scroll before being escorted out into the city of Ragni.

Chase immediately searched for the magician he had traveled with earlier and found him standing a little ways away from the rest of the recruits. When Marvin noticed him, a small smile graced his lips as he waved the archer down. “One hell of a welcome party, huh?” Chase said as he approached.

“At least we weren’t late like those other two,” Marvin noted with a nod. Chase stood beside him and looked out into the city, taking in the sights with a sense of awe. Ragni was stunning, an ancient fort that had stood the test of time. The years showed, in the worn cobblestone paths and the narrow side streets, as well as a few boarded and crumbled buildings. Something made Chase think this was unusual, that Fruma had more people in the streets, fewer boarded buildings, less rubble… but the more he thought about it, the less he could remember. Marvin tapped his staff on the ground, getting Chase’s attention. “Instead of just staring, you wanna try and explore this place?” He asked with a slight smirk. 

“I guess. We should try to find an Inn soon though, it’s already afternoon.”

The two set off to the left of the castle, and as they moved the houses began to thin slightly in favor of large targets and training dummies hidden from the untrained eye by hedges. A large archway holding the city’s insignia towered over them both, casting a soft shadow in the afternoon light. Two large mechanical guards stood by the two pillars, turning away any new recruit from the area. “Well, we found the training grounds. Totally should come here tomorrow morning, but for now, let’s find where an inn would be.” Marvin nodded, glad he had the chance to stretch his legs. The two wove between the townspeople, making their way back towards the Ragni Castle. Just before they reached the main square, the pair turned down a street just behind the bank, coming upon a sign which read “The Emerald Dagger Inn”. Happy to have found a place so quickly, Marvin and Chase entered, only to find a bustling tavern. The bar was mostly full of patrons, many seeming to be new recruits. The mage and archer eagerly took the last two seats at the end of the bar, ordering drinks from the well-dressed man working there. As the two sat down, they overheard the passionate conversation going on between two other patrons

“I told you, you can’t just run off in search of a fight! One of these days, you’ll find something stronger than your own idiocy!” an accented voice emanated from the shorter of the two, though both were taller than Marvin and Chase.

“I told you, I couldn't just do nothing!” The other figure, with a spear tied across his back responded. 

“And you can’t help people if you’re dead!” was the snapped response.

“Hey, you’re the pair of latecomers from earlier! How’s it going, Ragni’s really something, huh?” Marvin chimed in, shocking the two out of their argument. Behind him, Chase dropped his head onto his arms with a deep sigh.

“Real smooth, Marvin. Real smooth.”

The warrior beamed a smile. “Yeah, but hey, at least we made it! I’m Jackie by the way, and you two?”

“I’m Chase, and this is Marvin. And you?” Chase asked, looking pointedly at the grouchy looking shaman.

“Henrik Von Schneeplestein.”

“Quite the mouthful,” Marvin noted with a grin.

A tap on the bar pulls both groups' attention away from each other and towards the barman, who was cleaning a glass in front of them. He sets down his glass and starts moving his hands in a very particular manner, which Henrik follows and nods along to. The shaman starts, as he realizes that the other three aren't following along. 

“He’s using sign language, he says that around here it’s a good idea to make groups, parties of sorts to stay safe, that if we want to be adventurers rather than ordinary guards we need to be part of a group.”

“A party, huh? And I’m assuming it's best if multiple classes are involved in one party?” Chase responded, an odd gleam in his eye as he directed his question to the barman. 

**_“Indeed, a perfectly rounded party has five members. A Warrior, An Archer, A Mage, A Shaman, and An Assassin.”_ ** the shorter man responded, the sign being translated by Henrik for the others.

“Well, We’ve got most of those,” Jackie says looking at the other people in the conversation. “But we don’t have an assassin, I don’t think.” At this point, the barman grins.

**_“The name’s Jameson Jackson. My friends call me JJ. I’m working here to save money for my own journey, and I’m training as an Assassin. Nice to meet you.”_ **

“Alright! A party then?” Jackie exclaims, raising his drink into the air. The other four nod and smile, everything from Marvin and Jackie’s beaming grins to Henrik’s small smirk. The five agreed to meet in the Ragni training grounds, two hours after dawn the next day. As they all part ways, each one feels like something momentous has occurred. In time, they would all realize that conversation, in the Emerald Dagger, would shape the rest of their lives.


	2. My Head is Bloody, but Unbowed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Party wakes up the next morning and gets to show off a bit before being sent out on their first quest. Turns out things were a lot worse than most of the party first thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title comes from William Ernest Henley, the poem it is from being called Invictus
> 
> Alternate Chapter Title: WTF even is Wynn. JJ is confused.
> 
> Context Notes: We changed things so Henrik had his healing early, and Jameson can throw knives to give him some range. This is to help make things easier in the long run.

The sun rose over the walls of Ragni, shining through the small windows of the Inn rooms above the Emerald Dagger. One by one, the five adventurers rose from their separate rooms and began their day. Making their way to the Ragni training grounds, JJ stopped on the way to inform the owner of the inn and tavern of his resignation. The five met up at a relatively quiet corner of the training grounds, standing in a circle. Chase was the first to break the silence.

“We should probably demonstrate our skills, make sure we all know how we fight and what our strategies are.”

“Agreed! I can go first if you'd like!” was the immediate and enthusiastic response from Jackie. Chase had a feeling that would become a theme. The warrior happily launched into a range of exercises, focused on lashing out at the practice dummy. Light but shining armor glittered in the early morning light, offset only slightly by the bright red scarf around his neck. His stance was anchored, intended to allow him to stand strong against enemies. With a final flourish, his long pole-mounted blade charged with power surrounding him in a red aura, allowing him the ability to knock down multiple dummies with a resounding BOOM.

Chase was quietly impressed by the sheer damage dealt, mentally categorizing the warrior as a likely candidate for the “tank” of the group. Tuning back into the reactions of his new teammates, he noticed JJ and Schneeplestein nodding slightly. A pit grew in his stomach, however, when he saw the competitive smirk bisecting Marvin’s face. There was no way that would end well. Cracking his knuckles, the magician stepped forward, unhooking his staff from behind him as he walked up to the splinters that were left of the dummies. His staff began to glow a soft aquamarine as the splinters of the dummies mended back together into a vague shape of their original form. As he moved, His black half-cape fluttered in the wind, the clasp flashing as he moved. His blue high-collar top was a splash of color against his otherwise black outfit, the sleeves coming down to wrap around his middle finger in a sort of glove. His hands twirled the gnarled staff he used to fight. Unleashing a stream of light, he shattered one of the mended dummies apart all over again. Marvin ended his demonstration with a twirl of his staff before slamming it onto the ground facing his party members.

From what Chase could tell, the overall reception was positive. Jackie seemed entirely impressed, although the fire of competition still clearly burned in his eyes. JJ seemed quite appreciative of the show of magic, Henrik’s perpetual slight scowl seemed to have returned for who knows why. Chase was impressed by the mastery of magic, and the healing ability would certainly prove useful in the future.

“While concentrated battle magic may be useful, I still think most mages miss out on some of the more useful spells.” So that was what Henrik was so angsty about. A disagreement about magic practices. 

“Well then, why not give us a show, mister high and mighty” oh no. Marvin was letting his mouth run again. 

“Fine. I will.” the shaman snapped out, as Chase heaved a sigh. Henrik unclipped his Relik from his side as he stepped up to the dummies. With a quick flick of his wrist, three beams of arctic blue light shot out from the weapon and into three separate targets at once. The Shaman then held it straight out in front of him, sending out a ball of light in an arc in front of him, seeming to generate a false wind that flapped his worn white coat, revealing the plain-looking collared shirt beneath, layered over with the straps to multiple leather pouches. The light coalesced in front of him, taking the form of a large stone statue. A ring of green surrounded the area, before once again mending the beaten fake foes, and damaging the ones that were fine. The statue stayed for a moment before dissolving. And Henrik turned around to see if he had proven his point.

Marvin definitely seemed contemplative, as he tapped his staff on the ground. Chase had a feeling the debate was far from over, though for now, it seemed to be shelved. JJ was visibly contemplating the differences in magic styles, and Jackie was grinning ear to ear, for all that it seemed to cause the creases in Henrik’s brow to deepen. Chase mulled over the idea of Schneeplestein and Marvin being good candidates as healers, though only time would tell which one would be more willing to take on the role. Chase caught JJs glance, raising an eyebrow in question- which one would go next? The Assassin shrugged, sauntering forward directly in front of a dummy. With a flash of silver magic he spun, tight-fitting black clothing blurring as blades landed themselves solidly in the skulls of the other two dummies and a score of deep slashes dug through the false rib cage of the centermost one. Leaping forward, springing upwards off of the scratched dummy he kicked into the air and let another two knives fly, embedding in two archery targets nearby, before landing into a somersault popping up just 4 feet shy of the other fighters.

Chase found himself impressed- he had tried knife throwing once on a whim, or at least he thinks that he has, and knew that the amount of accuracy is incredibly impressive. JJ would be a good fighter for fast strong attacks before getting out of danger. Though he began to think that compared to his party members, He himself might be a bit underwhelming. Henrik seemed quietly impressed, and Marvin…..was probably curious as to how Jameson managed that speed. Jackie was all out clapping.

“Alright. Guess I’m up.” The archer breathed a sigh as he carefully stepped forward and knocked an arrow. It flew forward, embedding in the first archery target, and Chase leaped backward to gain more distance, his leather armor almost camouflaging him against the greenery if not for the shining plates protecting his joints, and the gleam of his arrow tip, before prepping another- this time, a bright yellow-orange flame enveloped the arrow tip, and as the fletching cleared the bow, the arrow multiplied. Ten distinct arrows embedded themselves in an area spanning three archery targets, a few of them hitting dead center. Each one left scorch marks around where they hit. He looked back at the party with a sheepish smile as he secured the bow onto his back once more.

Marvin and Henrik looked surprised at the burns left behind by the archer, and likely the fact that he had some magic in him in the first place. Jackie was looking at the damage to the targets, and nodding thoughtfully. Quiet clapping drew Chase’s attention to JJ, who had a smirk hiding beneath his mustache. 

**_“Good Aim,”_ ** He signed, Henrik quickly stepping in to interpret.

“Thank you,” Chase responded, some of his earlier nervousness slipping away.

“We should really start learning sign, shouldn’t we?” Marvin said after seeing the exchange.

**_“That can wait for a tick. For now, we should get ourselves signed up as a proper party before one of you gets a different assignment.”_ ** JJ responded, slightly smiling at the idea of being understood by more than one of them.

“We have to sign up somewhere?” Jackie frowned, clearly wanting to just run out and get going.

JJ beckoned them forward,  **_“Come on, I know who we need to speak to. His name’s Enzan, regularly came to the bar to complain about adventurers off of their rockers. He’ll get a kick out of this.”_ ** The motley crew left their place at the training grounds and walked towards the main gate of Ragni. As they approached the moat running around the inside wall, JJ directed them to an armored guard who seemed to be organizing the gate guards. Waving quickly to catch his attention, JJ approached the man.

“JJ? What’s going on? Everything alright?” Enzan seemed worried, before taking a good look at both JJ and the other four lurking a few steps behind him. “No. Tell me you’re kidding. Seriously? Seriously? You lot want to be a party. You want. To go fight the corruption. Out THERE?” he exclaimed, pointing out the gate which remained obscured by guards.

**_“Serious as I’ve ever been. I told you I wanted to be an adventurer, didn’t I? I told you I knew I’d never get anywhere without a party. Well, I found one.”_ **

“Just because you told me doesn’t mean I actually believed you, but alright. If you’re sure you want to do this, I’ll sign you up now. Just stay nearby for paperwork reasons. You can go help out a farmer just left of the gate here if you need something to do.”

**_“Much obliged.”_ **

With that, the five of them set out towards the gate. As they reached it, the guards parted to let them past. Marvin absently noticed that JJ was grasping a knife, the reason for his wariness soon came into clear view as they fully stepped through.

“WHAT THE HELL. WHY ARE WE GOING OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A SIEGE?”

**_“Marvin, this is normal. This is Constant. Welcome to Wynn,”_ **

The guards had reconverged behind them, and the area known as The Emerald Trail was revealed. In the distance, a small number of fortified buildings existed, and further yet a crumbling tower. Undead corpses dotted the plains, some unarmed, some with weapons, some flinging whatever they could get their hands on. A handful were clearly fallen adventurers or Ragni guards. A battered signpost rested right outside, pointing to a farm a little ways away going north, a separate sign pointing further east designating a forest. It was at this point that Jackie moved to the front of the group, leading them towards the farm. He used his spear to cut through enemies, whilst Chase did his best to prevent them from coming near. Where needed, JJ darted in to keep the zombies away from the back of the party. The five moved as fast as they dared towards what seemed to be the relative safety of the farm. Marvin and Henrik help a small amount with range but focused mostly on staying at a safe distance. The farmer in the area flagged them down, motioning for them to come inside his farmhouse. The five piled into the small home as the farmer sat down on a chair and began to explain what he needed help with.

“It’s wonderful that the army was able to send so many recruits, and so quickly too! Definitely means good things coming to Ragni, it does. Thank you for coming. Now, down to business. My father passed recently, and we laid him to rest behind the farm- He worked here all his life, y’know- and… well… The corruption got to him, you see. He’s…. He’s been decimating the field. I need your help, fighters of Ragni. I need you to get rid of him. I think it would work best to poison him through the sprinklers. Here, I have some old rat poison. Please, help me save my farm.” The farmer said whilst handing them a small crate of the poison he mentioned.

Marvin felt a shiver run down his spine.  _ The reanimated corpse of the farmer’s father. _ The creepiest part was that the farmer didn’t seem to think of it as something all that out of the ordinary. The farmer himself had suggested using  _ Rat Poison. _ Were Wynnic folks crazy? He watched as Chase hesitantly took the poison, and the group stepped back out and towards the entrance to the fields. This time, as they listened closely, they could hear the wailing and howling coming from inside the fence. The five adventurers steeled themselves, before entering the farm. Jackie peeked around the edge of a hay pile they were behind, only to jump back with a cry. A burning crackling roar echoed as a wave of heat swamped over them, and they felt the bales of hay jolt from some sort of impact.

“It shoots fireballs. Holy Shit. It shoots fireballs,” The warrior spit out, slightly pale in the face.

“Oh! I forgot to Warn you! He shoots fire! Corruption sure is weird, ain’t it?” The farmer hollered from his window.

“Bit late for that warning,” Henrik muttered under his breath as they all regained their bearings.

“Here, hand me the crate. JJ, do you think you can come with me on this?” Marvin said as he held his hand out. JJ gave him a nod and pointed to the next pile of hay just a few feet away as Chase handed him the crate with a slightly worried nod. JJ dashed over to the next pile, Marvin quickly following, barely missing a fireball shot towards his direction. Two continued to make their way around the field, the wailing from the reanimated corpse growing louder with every missed attack. After finding the reservoir, Marvin handed JJ the crate, and the assassin used his knife to open it, before pouring its contents into the pool of water.

“The poison is in! Is there a way to set off the sprinklers on your side?” Mavin yelled out above the hay, only to duck as another fireball was shot his way.

“Yeah, there’s a button here! Move to the back wall!” Chase shouted back after a short moment of silence. Marvin and JJ did as they were told as the sprinkler system sprung to life. The wailing and shrieking from the farmer’s father grew in intensity as the corpse through large fireballs in seemingly random directions before suddenly melting down, only for a large explosion to sound out, leaving a bloody and corrupted patch of ground in the center of the area. JJ grimaced, wiping a spot of blood off of his cheek, before turning to a frozen and horrified Marvin, who was staring at the purple goop splattered on his hands from where he had held them up to protect his face.

“Fucking hell,” Marvin whispered. Shaking the… whatever it was, from his hands. The two moved slowly back towards the others, Marvin taking glances to the burning area in the center as they walked through unprotected areas. Chase and Henrik both looked them each over with a worried glance before Jackie spoke up.

“Guess we should tell the farmer that the problem was dealt with, huh?”

“Yeah, but just to make sure, you two are alright?” Chase asked with a nod directed at Jackie.

“A little shaken, but fine,” Marvin replied.

**_“Don’t worry, the goo isn’t a problem so long as it's not in contact with our blood. And as long as we don’t die within the next week, we’re peachy.”_ ** JJ chimed in.

“...That’s reassuring.” Henrik said sarcastically with a slight glare. The party exited the farm to find the farmer standing out front. He took one look at Marvin and JJ and nodded his head in understanding.

“Thanks for your help! This means I can get back to providing for the effort. I have a bit of a reward for you as well.” The farmer reached into his pocket and pulled out a few emeralds. “These are for you, and feel free to come to my farm whenever you wish!” The five managed to make their way back to Ragni, stumbling through the gate as the guards part to let them through. Once safely within the city, Chase whirls towards JJ.

“As the person who has clearly been here the longest. Respectfully, What the Fuck?”

**_“As I told you earlier. Welcome to Wynn.”_ **


	3. I took the one less traveled by

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting their barrings from their first-ever outing and quest. The party is approached once again by Enzan, only this time the journey is longer than anticipated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is from Robert Frost's Poem "The Road Not Taken"
> 
> Alternative Title: Nivla has too many spiders.
> 
> Fun Fact: no real quests are done in this chapter, only accepted. making it both fun and difficult to write.
> 
> IMPORTANT: There is a part in this chapter where we talk about BSL and Name Signs. Note that neither author knows BSL. We have cherry-picked vocabulary from an online dictionary. Anyone who DOES know BSL is welcome to message us to correct inaccuracies. We do not intend to offend anyone.

Jameson found how the other party members were acting the tiniest bit surprising. Seems that the King of Ragni hadn't filled them in as much as he probably should have. They had spent a few hours around the main shops that Ragni had to offer since Chase suggested having a few different potions could help them out. Afterward, they had all stood in front of the cook's house debating where they should go next. As they discussed plans, a weary-looking Enzan in his Ragni guard uniform jogged up to them.

“I'm glad I found you! We have a problem. The tunnel between Ragni and Detlas has collapsed, and it can’t be cleared from the Ragni side. Detlas asked us for assistance, and you are the only party large enough to make it through Nivla fast enough. I know you’ve already done a quest today, and it's only your first day together, but we need you to do this.”

**_“Detlas? Through Nivla? Was it not this morning you thought us insane for daring to skirt the Emerald Trail?”_ ** JJ immediately responded, looking alarmed.

“You’ll just have to stay on the path then! Without that tunnel, we have no way to get the grain shipments through! This must be fixed immediately!” JJ made a quick huff before turning to the other adventurers.

**_“So. Do you all want to spend the afternoon traipsing through the most spider-infested forest known to Wynn?”_ **

“Do they also throw fireballs?” Henrik looked at him quizzically.

**_“No. But the small ones go up to your shin.”_ **

“What. the  _ hell _ . Is wrong with this place,” Marvin grumbled, Chase and Jackie silently agreeing. 

“I don’t really want to fight giant spiders. I doubt you do either. But at the same time, we can’t just let the food shipments be disrupted, or else the people in Detlas will run out of supplies. I think we have to go,” Jackie said, looking around at his fellow fighters. “We swore ourselves to Ragni, and now we have to protect it.” The others looked at each other, before reluctantly nodding. They would go to Detlas.

Just before they approached Ragni’s gate, JJ darted in front of them before clapping his hands loudly to get everyone's attention.

**_“Listen up my good lads. We’re headed to Nivla Forest. We’ve probably bitten off more than we can chew, but you all decided so here we are. Now, if you want to reasonably expect to reach Detlas alive, rather than the food to several cat-sized spiders, you need to listen to me. You HAVE to stay. On. the. Path. You HAVE TO.”_ **

“Come on, it’s not as if we are unarmed civilians. We have weapons, we can fight, there are five of us,” Henrik sniffed.

**_“Cat sized spiders. With jaws as big as my hand.”_ **

“Fine,” was the shaman's grumbled response.

And so, the fledgling party set out down the Emerald Trail. They followed the established path, passing a small handful of guards and adventurers alike. Soon, they had reached the buildings visible from Ragni, and the path to the forest was clear to see. The buildings turned out to be an advanced watchtower and a handful of support staff. Within the hour, they had passed both the occupied and abandoned watchtowers and reached a worn stone gate patrolled by three Ragni Guards. 

“You must be the crew here to fix the tunnel to Detlas. Good luck, we’re the last Ragni posting- Beyond here, you're on your own.” The lead guard informed them. With grim nods, the adventurers left the afternoon sunlight for the deep darkness of Nivla Forest.

The great boughs of the trees stretched up, hiding the sky from view entirely. Casting dark shadows anywhere but the path carved through the forest. It was impossible to tell the time of day, and adrenaline made the internal judgment of time inaccurate. In the vague distance, beady red eyes stared at the quintet as they stepped over sticks and rocks laying on the path. The hair on the back of Chase’s neck stood up, something about this forest was… off. It was only a few minutes in, they had just gone out of sight of the entrance when the first of the spiders attacked. A great, hairy thing nearly a foot tall came leaping from the bushes with unnatural speed, aiming itself straight for Henrik’s head. Said man screeched as the arachnid was stopped midair by a knife buried in its midsection, JJ having dashed in front of the would-be prey. He shoved the withering and curling corpse from his blade, light blue blood and gore dripping down his arm and face from where he had perforated the attacker.

**_“Mistake. This was a mistake.”_ ** Henrik shuddered violently, and the entire group edged further towards each other. Jackie once again took lead, Marvin falling behind to the back of the group as something wrapped around his foot. A force tried to pull him toward the darker parts of the forest. Causing the mage to fall forward. Jackie spun around when he heard a thud from behind him. Before he rushed back to his party member and stepped off for just a second to skewer the 8 legged creature before helping Marvin up, the mage mumbled a simple thanks in return. After a few more close encounters with spiders, one being a swarm quickly handled by Chase’s arrows, the trees and webs began to thin out as a bridge lit up by several braziers came into view. As they stepped out into the light once more, JJ turned to the group and said simply,  **_“We made it. I’m… surprised. Good job.”_ **

Before them, abandoned buildings rose up, an overgrown apple orchard in the distance. Bits of rubble was spread about, some with ominous bloodstains. 

“Where… are we?” Chase inquired, curious and wary in equal measure.

**_“I’ve never been here before, but from the descriptions I’ve heard, This is likely the Detlas Suburbs, my friend. They say once this place was lively, bright, full of people. It fell during the rise of Antiseptic, a human who led corrupted forces. Only Jack was able to hold him back, which is why Ragni still stands at all. Detlas may be the trading hub of Wynn, but they’ve never dared to reclaim the suburbs.”_ **

“Jack?” Schneeplestein responded carefully.

**_“Ragni’s Hero. The lad was born during a raid, born in the old sewer prison. The only known adventurer to master all of the known arts. The only equal to Antiseptic. Jack disappeared almost a century ago, presumed dead. We think Antiseptic is dead too, but no one truly knows. It makes folks uneasy to talk about it, so I don’t know much. Though, If you are interested, friends, I hear that good ol’ Ragni houses many secrets to the great hero's journey.”_ **

“Great. Cool. Wonderful. Can we please get to Detlas before we’re, I dunno, mobbed or something?” Marvin half whined. JJ responded by clicking his fingers and pointing straight ahead, where the edges of a bright, green-toned citadel rose in the distance. The party stalked forward, keeping a careful eye on the clacking skeletons and mostly rotted zombies that weaved between buildings and peered out from the windows. Miraculously, they reached the Detlas gates without being accosted. Waiting right inside the gates was a grizzled and scarred captain, who immediately turned his attention onto the group. 

“You must be the crew Klafson sent to help with the tunnel. I am Captain Fenor, Head of the Detlas Guard. Tomorrow, you will accompany Miner Linton down into the tunnel, but for now, it’s too dangerous. Go on and get some rest, meet by this gate a few hours after dawn. I suggest The Brass Leaf, it's just north of the town square.” The armored man turned away from them, before seeming to disappear into the bustle of the city.

“Come on. We have all had a shitty day, and frankly, I need a drink,” Marvin proclaimed, dragging his companions towards the center of town. The five weary fighters meandered into the tavern and quickly booked rooms. JJ grabbed the others’ attention and began to sign.

**_“We all need to clean off. No good reason to drink with spider guts on my hands. After that, I have an idea of something to make our lives easier, and hopefully, good Henrik won’t have to translate for me as much anymore.”_ **

“Don’t really know what you mean about the last part. But getting cleaned off sounds good to me.” Henrik sighed after echoing the assassin’s sentiment. They quietly found the sign for the bathhouse built into the place and got themselves cleaned off from that day’s adventures before reconvening in the tavern. Opting for a circular table instead of the earlier bar arrangement from the day prior. After they all ordered a few drinks, Marvin’s and Chase’s being the largest, Chase motioned everyone to listen.

“Despite what happened today, with spiders and fire zombie farmers, I’d say today went well.” Slight laughter came from most of the party, aside from the death glare Marvin shot the archer’s way. “But I was wondering if it might be a good idea to give everyone a type of role.”

“What do you mean by role?” Henrik asked.

“Well, from what I saw earlier today in the training grounds, we have a couple of people whose skills overlap. You and Marvin can heal, JJ and I can hit at a range, granted I can go a bit farther. And JJ and Jackie both hit short range.”

**_“Suggesting we assign parts so no one steps on anyone toes?”_ ** JJ chimed in.

“Exactly.”

“I’m guessing you have an idea of who is what since you brought it up?” Jackie said, looking happy over being noticed.

“I was thinking you would be our tank, Jackie. Someone who can take hits for the more fragile of us whilst doing tons of damage.” The warrior nodded, his right hand grazed the base of his spear thoughtfully. “Henrik, I was thinking you could be our healer. While Marvin can heal more at a shorter range, with so many of us that statue you made being able to heal in an area will be extremely helpful.” Henrik looked proud to be picked over the mage, most likely a leftover from the morning’s squabble. “JJ, Marvin, you two would be good… what the term… Strikers! You are good at doing a lot of damage, and then getting the hell out of dodge once you're done.” JJ, previously zoning out a bit, snapped to attention at his name before he gave a bright smile. Marvin simply nodded as he tried to see what was keeping their drinks.

“And yourself?” Jackie asked when the archer paused.

“I’ll be crowd control, mostly. Keeping the numbers thin enough so we aren't overwhelmed.” The archer responded. Only for the conversation to be interrupted by the presentation of alcohol. Marvin particularly looked at his drink like it was a gift from the gods. A few moments of silence for drinking before Jameson once again got their attention.

**_“Since you all probably want to learn how to read sign, I was thinking we could start with a single word for each. Your name.”_ ** With a surprisingly solemn disposition, the assassin continued,  **_“I can’t speak. Never have been able to. I communicate with my hands, in a language known here as Standard Wynnic Sign. If we want to continue to work together, it would be best if you learned at least a tad bit. Furthermore, so far I have been spelling your names letter-by-letter, and that just won’t do long term. So, I figured I’d introduce you to what are called Name Signs. More or less, they are signs which represent a person, to ease communication. Different areas and people go about this differently, but the method that I tend to use is basically a nickname. A word that represents the person. Are you up for that, chaps?”_ **

“So… you want to come up with nicknames for us in sign, then teach them to us?” Was Jackie’s curious response. 

**_“Right you are!”_ **

“So, what are you thinking so far?” Chase inquired.

**_“Well, for you, I was thinking of ‘Arrow’. I am aware it is quite… on the nose, but it fits you rather well. Here,”_ ** Jameson moved his hands into the sign, before motioning for Chase to mimic it. **_“There you go!”_ ** Afterward, he turned to Jackie and said,  **_“You are very boisterous, so I think ‘Bright’ suits you,”_ ** Carefully JJ repeated the sign a couple of times for Jackie just to be sure he had memorized it. Next, he turned his attention to Marvin,  **_“To me, you are the epitome of Magic, so if you agree, that would be your sign. You are grace and power. Hoist that chin up chap! Not every day is going to be this… messy.”_ ** The magician in question grumbled and took a gulp from his drink, but a reluctant smile cracked across his face.

“Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing there, flatterer.” To this, JJ gave an unrepentant shrug before finishing up.

**_“And finally, Henrik. Thank you for agreeing to translate so much. I would like to call you ‘Doctor’ if you would be amenable. You are going to be our Healer, after all, It’s only fitting. Besides, you remind me of a story I once heard, of a gruff medic who would do everything he could for his patients.”_ ** A foggy look seemed to take over the composed man's eyes before he snapped back to himself with a nod. 

“So JJ, it's only fair if you share- What’s your own Name Sign?” Chase interjected into the odd tension between the two.

**_“Thank you for asking, Chase. The man I learned to sign from used to refer to me as Fancy,”_ ** A guffaw turned attention towards Marvin.

“Well that sure is fitting, isn't it? So, sign. How do we start?” At this, JJ broke into a wide grin and launched into an explanation laden with demonstrations and amicable chatter of the sign alphabet that took them well into the night.


	4. If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you (Rudyard Kipling)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Working Title: Bovemists. WHY.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:   
> 1) Relik is how it is spelled officially in Wynncraft. If this annoys you, take it up with the creators of the server.  
> 2) We swear, this fic tries to take itself seriously. This chapter. Is frankly, mostly crack. We will return to regularly scheduled plot shortly.
> 
> Also, YAY! We're not dead!

The party had agreed to reconvene the next morning. Jackie came down to the tavern floor only to be faced with three of the five party members sitting at the table already. A stack of books was set neatly next to JJ, and a smaller, messier stack of maps was placed next to Chase. Henrik was eating something while watching and translating JJ’s words for the archer as they discussed something. The warrior gained a smile and sat down at the table where he had the night before, and the others at the table greeted him with a wave or a warm hello.

“You’ve all been busy,” Jackie said with a slight yawn.

“Yes, well I was woken up before dawn to go shopping with the other two. Thankfully I wanted some maps since I'm tired of relying on directions. JJ got some blank books while we were out as well, not sure why though,” Chase replied.

**_“I wanted to grab some journals for us to jot down anything we might need. Henrik was the one who gave me the idea, and in turn, I lent the funds,”_ ** JJ explained. The warrior nodded before digging into a breakfast purchased from the innkeeper. Soon, Marvin came to join them, and the five of them set out to speak with Captain Fenor. 

“Good to see you! Good to see you! Come now, the tunnel’s right here. This is Miner Linton, you’ll be escorting him as he clears the tunnel. Good luck!” The captain bid them farewell. The Miner in question nodded at the group, beckoning them down into the dark tunnel. Just as Chase began to worry about the light, mounted torches came into view, bathing the hard-packed dirt in an orange glow. Gravel and dust crunched under their boots as they ventured in search of the cave in. The walls were slightly dented, with marks of something trying to dig it out. The party and the miner approached a part of the mine that had indeed caved in but felt far too early on to be what they were here for. Linton scouted around the edges, pushing slightly at the debris and checking the ceiling carefully.

“This doesn’t seem to be load-bearing. We should be able to push it down and continue on, the Ragni group informed us of a larger blockage up ahead. If you all wouldn’t mind, we need to push these large boulders through.” The miner informed them. Together, the six lined up and heaved, throwing all of their strength and bodyweight forward. With an ominous grinding sound, the rubble collapsed inwards, scattering across the packed down cave floor and revealing a grisly sight. A dozen rotting corpses, most with dented armor indicating loyalty to either Detlas or Ragni respectively. Linton paled, backing up in order to involuntarily empty his stomach in relative peace. After a moment for the miner to compose himself, the group entered the new cavern cautiously. They picked their way through the carnage, making their way to the next blockage worriedly. Just as they were about to begin working on the new piles of stone, bone-chilling groans and creaks sent shivers down all their spines. They whipped around, sequestering Miner Linton close to the blockage, and turned their blades towards the noise. The group watched in horrified fascination as the corrupted bodies hauled themselves up onto shattered legs, a few with visible ribs. The corpses shambled mindlessly towards the party, deadly and unsettling foes. Jackie quickly surveyed the room again. It wasn’t tiny, but it also wasn’t enough room for most of the party to keep things contained. Just past him, a light came from the gemstone in Henrik’s relik that began to ball up in an artic blue light. Chase shot a few arrows, knocking the dead back slightly, only for a large blue statue to form in the center of the room.

“Hit them while near the totem, it will hurt them while keeping you alive,” Henrik ordered. The Shaman then stepped forward, shooting the enemies with three separate beams whilst walking closer to the totem. The dead were surrounded by the arctic light as they started walking towards the party once again. As one, the other four exchanged glances before launching into action. Jackie and JJ were blurs of shining steel as their blades sunk into flesh, while Marvin began to clobber the enemies over the head, covering for Chase who let loose volleys of high-speed arrows, each either thunking into flesh or clacking as they hit the nearby stone. Together, the group was able to quickly dispatch the putrid menaces, turning back to find that Miner Linton was paler than they had seen him yet, and appeared to be shaking. After wiping gore from his blade, Jackie attempted to bring the man out of his shocked stupor.

“Are we clear to push at this one, sir? Or is it too unstable?” The miner stared sightlessly at the warrior for a moment, before appearing to startle and become aware of his surroundings.

“Uh… Right. Right. The blockage. Uhm, one moment, uh, let’s see… Yeah, we should be good,” was the stuttering response. The five fighters proceeded to shove the next blockage, causing it to cascade into yet another small cavern. Thankfully, this one was devoid of corpses, though the blockage ahead looked thicker and more solid than the others had been. As Miner Linton began to inspect the blockage, the party drew together behind him to discuss. 

“Those guards couldn’t have died more than three days ago. And they already were corrupted,” was Jackie’s blunt observation. “What the hell.”

**_“The corruption works mysteriously. No one knows quite in what manner. It’s one of the things that makes it so terrifying. Your friends, even your own kin, lost only days previous rising to face you. Intending to take your life. Not a single spark of who they were remains… With one exception,”_ ** JJ attempted to placate the man. 

“What do you mean by one exception?” Chase interjected curiously.

**_“Why, Antiseptic of course. A corrupted being who retained his intelligence despite the corruption that ran all throughout his body, allowing him to… ‘outlive’ the normal folk,”_ ** was the ominous response. The discussion, however, was cut short by scraping and crumbling which immediately brought up the adventurers guard. They pivoted to stare incredulously. Henrik felt his eyebrows migrating towards his hairline as... what appeared to be a man dressed as a cow, broke through the side of the cave. Schneeplestein found himself questioning whether or not he had hit his head earlier. From what he could see, most of his companions appeared just as gobsmacked, though Miner Linton and Jameson appeared resigned, which made something in the back of his brain begin to itch with curiosity. Before they could do much more, the cowman darted back into his narrow tunnel.

“What the fuck?” Henrik shocked himself as he realized that the exclamation had come from his own mouth. 

“Yeah, I'm with the doc on this one. The hell?” Jackie agreed, still staring intently at the empty hole. At this, the Miner sighed resignedly, turning to the others.

“This should be the last blockage, and therefore there shouldn't be any more corrupted. It's just another nutty bovemist, but if you’d like, you're welcome to follow him while I work on figuring out how to take this down without bringing the cave in on top of us, which might take a while.” At this, Jameson seemed to sag, before lifting himself up and turning to Chase. The Archer in question seemed to consider for a moment, before addressing the group. 

“We really should follow him, make sure he’s not a threat. Doing our duty and all that.”

“Oh come on, admit it. You’re crazy curious,” Marvin snapped back at the archer.

“Fine. I’m also very curious. Happy?”

“Very.” With that settled, the group began shuffling through the small yet surprisingly long passage. At one point it opened up slightly into a small carved room, in which the muttering form of the same cow-man was revealed. Said cow-man promptly startled, his head swiveling to face them, interlopers. 

“Oh… I… didn’t expect you to follow me. This… this will sound weird, but I’m Drale, and I’m trying to save the sacred cows from enslavement at Katoa Ranch. Will you help me?”

“Why in the world would we help you?” Henrik spoke. He was half annoyed that they were actually doing this, and half horridly confused about the whole situation.

“Because the farmers here stole those cows! They are sacred animals and these people are just going to turn them into steaks! Look, if you help me, I… I’ll find some way to help you,” the man in a cow suit offered. Henrik looked at Jameson, who had a hint of excitement in his features, as he began to sign.

**_“What do we need to do?”_ ** Jameson asked.

“All you need to do is walk through the tunnel, and free the cows in there from enslavement,” Drale replied. After giving him an exaggerated-but-not-at-all-concerned-for-his-mental-health nod, The five once again gathered together a little further into the tunnel towards an offshoot sprouted upwards towards the surface.

“Here goes nothing,” was Jackie’s input as the group crept slowly upwards. At the top, the tunnel entrance is concealed from the open space by a pile of old building material. Together, they froze as the farmer could be heard muttering and walking around surveying what appeared to be a barn, containing 3 pens of cows. A silently snickering JJ drew the group’s attention.

**_“It seems the best plan would be for me to run across to get the far pens, whilst the rest of you create some form of distraction- after all, cows aren't exactly the stealthiest of beings,”_ ** Unsettling mirth shined in the former barkeep’s eyes, sparking a moment of concern in Henrik. Unfortunately, Jackson’s plan was solid, and he had no better ideas. He would have to question his new teammates' sanity at a later date. In an even more unfortunate turn of events, the dubious sanity seemed to be catching, as Chase took that moment to whisper

“Distraction, huh? I might have something.” The archer pointed at a tabby cat lazing at the base of the stairs leading up from the room they were in. “Henrik,”  _ Oh no. _ “I saw you keep herbs in your pouch- do you happen to have any Field Balm?”

“Why don’t I like where this is going,” was Henrik’s hissed response. “I do have some.” Chase made an absurd grabbing motion that appeared to cause Marvin to stifle laughter. Henrik reluctantly fished the small bag of green leaves from his satchel. Jackie cut in quickly with a question.

“What’s Field Balm, Chase?”

“Field Balm, a mediocre medicinal herb, more commonly known as catnip.” He grinned, before tying the bag to an arrow. He nocked his contraption, and right as the farmer turned away, let loose. The arrow flew, swift and silent, before hitting the wall above the cat, bursting the bag and raining fine green leaves down upon the sprawled feline. Immediately, the tabby sprang to attention before seeming to lose his little kitty mind. Running, and screeching, and making a general racket. The farmer began to swear as he heard the telltale noises of a cat reigning destruction and chaos upon his home and ran out of the room. JJ gave the insane archer an enthusiastic thumbs-up, before racing to open the gates and usher the cows to Drale. Said cow-man was ecstatic, and frankly, seemed unsettlingly close to tears. 

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! Now we only need to get them to the raft, and they will be free in Gavel! Come, Come!” As the group indulgently followed, Henrik noticed that Marvin, who had nearly managed to completely stifle his laughter, had devolved into another round of violent snickering. The doctor himself wondered if the madness in Wynn had any limits.  _ Was there nothing in this cursed province that people considered insane? Was there no common sense? No order? No decency? _ Henrik found himself pushing these questions to the back of his mind in favor of the logistics of six cows on a raft crossing an ocean. This line of inquiry was quickly squashed as well, for it was no saner than the others. By the time that Henrik had returned to reality, the group had reached the end of the tunnel, and the cows were launching themselves onto a surprisingly sturdy wooden craft, which Drale encouraged them to push into the ocean. With that accomplished, Henrik began to curse internally. It had to have been at least three hours past when they had left Miner Linton.  _ What had his life become? _ Thankfully, Chase chose that moment to regain his sanity, and turned towards the tunnel before speaking

“We had better get back to the Miner if we want to reach Ragni by sundown,” seemed to be the only queue needed for the others to fall in line, and the five adventurers descended into the depths once more. Drale seemed to split off from the group at the cavern beneath the ranch, and soon they had rejoined Linton, who seemed rather cross. 

“Where have you all BEEN?! It’s been HOURS?”

“Stealing cows.”  _ Really, Marvin? Really? _ Henrik wondered when these people would stop surprising him with general idiocy. A small part of his mind whispered that he would never be used to it.

“Stealing- you know what? I'm not surprised. I don’t have the materials to get us through this-” The miner was cut off by- Drale.  _ Of course, it was Drale _ . _ Wonderful _ .

“You all helped me out, figured I could get you out of a real pickle! Cows, to me!” The cow-man proclaimed as he led a contingent of…  _ cows _ . Those were definitely armored cows, that charged the blockage and sent it tumbling into the passage beyond. Henrik was self-aware enough to know that he was just shy of a full out screaming fit, and from the looks of things Marvin’s last attempt at stoicism was hanging on by a minuscule thread. As Drale bid them goodbye and disappeared into his tunnels, the group finally came upon a sliver of light. The end of the tunnel began to reveal itself in the glow of the late afternoon sun. Sargent Klafson greeted them, alongside a group of Ragni Guards as they finally finished ensuring that the tunnel was clear. The man congratulated them, handing each one a leather pouch filled with emeralds as pay. 

“Good job! You may be just a group of new recruits, but we know that Ragni can count on you. Get some rest, you earned it.” Once within Ragni’s walls, Henrik turned to the others and shared thoughts that had been boggling him for most of the day.

“Jameson. You know a thing or two, what on earth was with the cow-man. There is no way that was normal.” His words were received with a smirk, as the man in question responded.

**_“Oh, the Bovemist? It can be said that some branches of the Bovemist church get just a tad… out there. Most of the province is resigned to it now, and indeed, being invited to take part in their shenanigans is a point of pride for some.”_ ** Henrik hung his head in defeat.  _ It was official; the entire Wynn Province was completely insane _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: Don’t use catnip as medicine. It is not confirmed to help with just about anything. It is a bit of a folk remedy. Do not take medical advice from Fanfiction Authors. 
> 
> We also do not own any of these characters, or the setting of Wynncraft.


	5. Toward Eternity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party is dragged along to find something Chase saw early that morning, and Marvin doesn't get any sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from "Because I could not stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson
> 
> Alternate Name: And so begins, LORE
> 
> This was originally going to include a quest but became far too long, so now it's just lore.

The five adventurers spent an extended amount of time in Ragni helping out the city’s citizens after their encounter with the bovemists. Every morning was the simple routine of waking up, getting a task or two from Enzan, completing the said task, and then retiring for the night at The Emerald Dagger whilst learning a thing or two about sign from Jameson. So it came to Marvin’s surprise when he awoke before dawn with a knock on his door. Marvin rose from his bed with a tired groan, before he opened the door to see Chase in the hall.

“You need something?” Marvin mumbled, looking tired from their work the day before.

“Yeah… uh, I was getting back from my run and-”

“Why the hell are you running hours before dawn?”

“Because I dunno, it's nice and cool and shit, look that isn’t really the point.”

“Yeah, yeah, continue.”

“I was out for my run and something.. I’m probably crazy, but it went through the ground like it was air.”

“Okay, weird.”

“It was glowing.”

“What?”

“It looked like a man, and it was glowing.”

“Chase, I swear, if you’re pulling my leg…”

“I saw it. It was glowing.”

“Chase, literally most of the population uses magic on some level.”

“This was different, it was a constant and green glow that was his entire body.”

Marvin let out an exhausted sigh. “Look, why don’t you tell the guys about this in the morning. Y’know, when things are open and we can find out if this is something anyone knows about?”

“Fine,” Chase says with a slight huff before turning away and walking back to his room. 

Sure enough, come morning, when Marvin stumbled down to what had become their usual table, Chase was waiting. The archer looked entirely unruffled, no sign of the fact that he had been up since pre-dawn, an observation that frustrated the Magician who internally cursed his messy hair and difficult cloak. Once they had all assembled and breakfast had been eaten, Marvin’s hopes of the early-morning occurrence being written off as a figment of Chase’s imagination were dashed when said man drew attention to himself.

“Alright, so, something weird happened this morning. On my morning run, I saw something I can’t explain. A glowing figure that moved through a wall. Not glowing like normal magic either, practically a lighthouse of energy.”

“Well that's… weird,” Jackie replied.

“I know I sound crazy, but I swear it exists,” was Chase’s almost frantic response.

 **_“Wait a moment, there is a chance that Chase is correct. I’ve never seen it myself, but I've heard teensy snippets of it being mentioned. I think some call it a spirit of some sort.”_ **JJ diffused the conversation before it could lead to an argument, leaving the five sitting there and stewing in silence. It was serendipitous that this silence allowed them to hear a conversation between a pair of beleaguered looking workmen at the next table over. 

“Ole Man Jack made his rounds again last night. Bright as a beacon, walking through the catacombs. Nearly scared the tar outta me, as usual. Always walkin’ through walls n’ shit like it’s nothin’.” One was saying to his friend.

“No Shit. Still hasn’t spoken a word, eh?”

“Still not a word, poor guy. Gave everything for us, only to be taken down by rabid dogs down south.” At this point, Chase seemed to have perked up and raised an eyebrow at Marvin, who hung his head in defeat for what must have been the third time that day. In the end, it was Henrik who leaned towards the other men.

“I am sorry to bother you gentlemen, but my companions and I couldn’t help but overhear. You see, we are new to the area, and the archer here saw what he swears was a glowing man phase through the ground. This couldn’t happen to be this Jack you’re talking about?”

“Indeed,” the first one replied. “It probably is. Jack was the hero of Ragni for a long, long time. Our savior from the corruption. Until one day, he up an’ disappeared. Not too long after, they say his tomb was found outside of Nesaak, they say he fell to wild wolves. Ever since, his ghost has roamed Ragni, watching over the people and the Catacombs. Never says anything, rarely even notices you’re there. He likes to walk the catacombs at night, though neither of us have any idea why.” At this point, the other chimed in.

“I heard he tends to actually look at Frumans though, you might want to go find ‘im.” Henrik nodded in thanks to the two men, before turning back to the members of his group.

“Guess we’re going ghost hunting then,” Marvin said with a sigh. Chase had a slight grin as he agreed.

“Where do we start?” Jackie asked.

“Well, I last saw him phasing into a wall near a large gate on Ragni’s southern wall. There was a gate somewhat like the one to the north just ahead.”

“As good a place to start as any,” Marvin concluded as he raised from his chair. Jameson and Chase soon followed suit.

The five adventurers set out into the bright morning, the sun stared down at them from just above the towering citadel walls, and clouds were few and far between. Ragni citizens chattered away among the streets as they passed, as the occasional rat skittered away into the sewers below. Chase steered them towards where he saw the spirit, a small indent in the base of a nearby cliff face, and the group agreed to, albeit slightly, split up to look for the newest source of Chase’s insanity. Marvin took the northern path back toward where they started, checking within the alleyways and behind multiple of the larger buildings. If he was honest, he didn’t have much hope of finding one apparition in the large bustling city that they barely had a grasp on in terms of directions. True to form, in a couple of minutes Marvin found himself a little lost in a garden a small distance away. Marvin spent a minute trying to remember the direction he came from, before giving up and traversing deeper into the gardens before finding a small dirt path. Marvin followed it forward and saw a small monument hidden behind hedges and large flower bushes. Rings of light magic swirled over the top of an angel statue, she seemed crestfallen, glass tears were placed on her cheeks, reflecting off of the sunlight. The angel’s arms held a plaque with a message written across it in golden lettering, though from the distance Marvin was at he couldn’t quite read what it said.

Standing just before the monument was a bright green spirit staring at the statue, pain reflecting in his eyes. Marvin took in the sight for only a minute before stepping away and calling for the other party members. The specter’s head snapped to the side, fixing his gaze onto the mage who promptly froze in place. The other four arrived not long after, with JJ leading them. As soon as all five were standing before him, Jack's eyes widened in unexplained shock. He seemed to approach hesitantly, approaching slowly as if afraid he will scare the group away. It occurs to Marvin that most Frumans would be fleeing in terror by now, but he finds himself eerily calm. Maybe it was the fact that he had faced down zombies or the way the impossible suddenly seemed to be a reality. The green ghost approached them, turning first to Jameson, who clearly had wonder glimmering in his eyes. A translucent hand reached forth, and tapped upon the Assassin’s side, prompting him to peacefully and calmly unsheath his main dagger. Jack seemed to smile at this, tapping approvingly at the metal blade before turning to Chase and motioning to the bow strapped across the Archers back. Jack ran his spectral fingers down the bowstring with a grin. The other three noticed the pattern, each drawing their weapons for what seemed to be an inspection of sorts. Next up was Marvin, the center of their little group. Grasping the top of his wooden staff, Jack smirked at him. With Jackie, he used two hands to grasp the pole of his spear firmly, in a pose reminding the party of the gate guards. Finally, the specter traced some of the carvings on Henrik’s Relik, before turning his head up to the sky. He led them a few steps back towards the statue where Marvin had originally found him. His ghostly fingers brought their attention to the golden writing in the polished stone. ‘ _In memorial to the soldiers that did not die by the enemy’s blade, but fell to the enemy that lurks within us all. Rest In Peace.’_ They watched in silence as Jack bowed his head, before reaching up to wipe a tear from his eye. Upon his fingers, the tear darkened, turning to an opaque and pearlescent stone. Holding out his hand to them, it lay cradled in his palm. A sad smile graced his lips, as he spoke for what must have been the first time in decades. 

“Where hearth fire burns in the lap of luxury, only tragedy reveals the history,” he murmured, before seeming to fade to nothing. The tear, for lack of a better description, was caught in Marvin's deft hand before it could hit the cobblestones below. Together they marveled at the pale stone, the surface smooth like glass, before looking at each other as if seeking confirmation. Each found an echo of their own feelings in each other's eyes, a humbling mix of awe, an inexplicable sense of grief, and a bone-deep knowledge that something had changed. The five stepped out of the garden and back onto Ragni’s streets deep in their own thoughts. Marvin thought back to how Jack reacted to seeing their weapons before he softly murmured Jack’s message again and again. He began thinking of any place near them that may hold a connection. The word ‘luxury’ rang out to him, was there any place they had been to that would even fit such a description. The only place he thought of was the castle. The large red carpets and high ceilings with that one large fireplace guarded by a statue of each type of art. His eyes widened as he put the pieces together.

“Fireplace,” He said out loud to no one in particular. The others looked at him before JJ motioned for him to continue. “When we got here, we entered through the main gates that lead into the castle right? Well across from that was a large fireplace with these statues next to it.”

“I think I remember seeing something like that, though I was more focused on catching up with the rest of the recruits,” Henrik recalled. “The statues had each kind of weapon with them, yes?”

“Yep! That’s what I’m talking about!” Marvin confirmed with a smile.

“Are we even allowed back into the castle?” Chase asked. 

**_“Castle is normally open to folks, you just have to be courteous to his majesty and his royal guards,”_ ** JJ assured them. Marvin looked back down at the tear in his hand, before he paced down Ragni’s streets, his companions calling out in surprise before going after him. The building blended together as Marvin moved forward- the castle thankfully wasn’t too far away from the gardens they had come from, and he and the others were in front of the gates before too long. The royal guards gave him a questioning glance, before looking back into space at their post against the walls. Marvin gave the guards a quick nod as he walked inside. The large mirrored floor gave the room a sense of majesty the group had not time to admire before marching onwards. They turned left down a corridor, continuing a few feet until they found themselves before a grand fireplace. They had passed it on their way into the castle, but all had overlooked it as just another whim of nobility. The fireplace wasn’t too intricate itself, wood was burning a mix of soft yellows, oranges, and reds against metal grating. A plaque reading, _‘In memory of Jack’_ rested at its top with another pearlescent tear inlaid within the carved stone. Five statues stood around it. Each with sophisticated armor and a simple representation of each weapon type in their grasp, all of their heads facing down in reverence.

“How did I not notice this before?” Chase half-whispered as he stood at the memorial.

“You and me both,” Jackie replied, his eyes locked on the statues themselves. “But what are we supposed to be looking for?”

“Well, we are at the ‘fire in the lap of luxury’ Jack mentioned. But I’m not sure what we need to do next...” Marvin trailed off. The soft yellow light emanating from the flames seemed to almost swirl around the tear in his hand. Marvin walked over to the flames as the light continued to reflect, he moved his hand just above the fire, the heat bleeding through his shirt and onto his skin. “I wonder… he said tragedy…” Marvin whispered before dropping the tear into the open flames. He could feel surprised and angry glares behind him, but the looks were quickly whisked away when the flames turned bright green. The party fell deathly silent as a soft whisper sounded in the soft wind now blowing through the area.

_“To you who seek knowledge, enter my castle to gain wisdom.”_

The clacking of boots sounded throughout the halls, leaving imprints on the carpet and shadows on the stonework as an unseen being began to walk past. Marvin took one look at Chase and Jameson, who both returned with a nod, before following the indentations towards a mural on the wall. The gates, originally down on the simplistic design of a generic castle, began to rise upward. Behind was a soft light emanating from torches on a hidden wall. Quickly Marvin and the others ran through, in the fear that it may close again. The five crowded down a dark spiral staircase, cobwebs, and dust attesting to the state of disuse. The wooden steps creaked as they crept downward, curiosity outweighing rationality as they finished their descent. With a gust of mysterious wind, torches along the edge of the room lit in unison to expose a massive library. The five began to spread out, taking in the multitudes of leather-bound books left on ancient shelves. Henrik is the first to open one, a cloud of dust launching into the air and triggering a coughing fit. Once the air had cleared, he looked at the faintly yellowed pages and began to read while the others meandered about the room. 

“Oh my god.” The group turned to look at the horrified shaman. “This is the story… of the Siege of Ragni. In 854, the corruption breached the walls. Ragni _fell._ ” A hush fell over the group. “This says it lasted for 6 days, that the citizens hid in the sewers to escape. It… also makes bizarre mention of a baby, born to an unknown mother who died in childbirth, who died the first night of the siege.” At this, the silent assassin began to rush around, looking for something on the shelves. He turned back to them, signing quickly.

 **_“I do believe the little one born in Ragni’s sewers may just be Jack, the hero of our province! Information on the fall of Ragni has mostly been lost to time. If you happen to be holding an account of those harrowing days, the truth behind Jack’s legend may rest here!”_ ** Finally, Jameson turned and stalked down the central Isle, visibly brightening as he saw the case resting at the end of the room. He approached it carefully, almost reverently, before blowing off the dust coating both the glass cover and the bookstand itself. An ornate thing, dark wood, and inlaid decorative metal, the glass case protected a large tome. The book itself was stiff with age, bound in sturdy leather. Dark lettering spelled out "The Legend of Jack". Jameson carefully lifted the glass cover and began to flip through the pages of the book. By this point, the others had made their way over and stared transfixed at the pages. Before them, Jack's story was laid bare. An orphan born in Ragni's sewer, adopted by a poor woman named Momo. The book showed them flashes of his childhood, working for a baker, growing older until finally, the corrupted army returned. The faded ink described in clinical detail how the rotted army roared through the streets, how civilians hid for cover. How the outskirts, the slums, fared the worst. The five adventurers read in silence, captivated by the story of young Jack returning to his home, forced to end the suffering of his own mother, her dying breath sending him upon a quest to master the skills of the adventurer classes as they were known as now. Her last gift, a pair of old daggers, as dark as an unlit cave, glowing bright green runes pulsing softly. Where she got them, no one knows. Jack traveled to Almuj- 

“Where's Almuj?” Was Jackie’s whispered question.

 **_“A desert city far east of Detlas, where Jack learned to be an Assassin. And here, He learned Archery with the Twains, in their old manor in the far-flung frigid southeast. The skills of a Magecraft in… Nivla Village? My, it must have been another casualty of the invasions. The study of a Warriors skills within the grand fortress of Troms directly south of here. Finally culminating in his mastery of Shamanism upon the slopes of Mt. Wynn.”_ **The others shifted uncomfortably. Wynn was grand, but for all of it to be besieged by the corruption for so long? For entire villages to have vanished? None of the Frumans were quite sure what to think. It was Marvin who broke the somber silence.

“While we are stopping for questions, who are the Twains? I haven't heard of them, and if they are such a big deal, why aren't they helping?”

 **_“The Twains… The Twains are the closest thing Wynn has to myth. Extraordinary children brought together under one roof by the patriarch. Together, the four of them fought against corruption. Theorick is said to have condemned Nesaak to a frozen eternity, and legend has it Mael was… a slight bit mad. They said he could see things no one else could. The others, for the most part, are lost to time… a whisper here, a family legend there. Some scholars dedicate their entire lives to uncovering the secrets of the Twains”_ ** Was the response that JJ gave. Marvin's eyes widened at the explanation. These Twains, if any were still living, could help him understand his abilities as a mage, as well as clarifying just who this hero Jack was. **_“The Twain house lays vacant, the family name rarer than gold. Their gifts have yet to reemerge, save perhaps in Jack himself, so far as any person knows. Anyhow, we should continue.”_ ** The others nodded, returning to the tome. The completion of Jack's training blended into more somber events- the second siege of Ragni. ‘ _Antiseptic’s decaying army howling at the grand stone gates, all hope thought to be lost for the most resilient foothold in mainland Wynn. Jack had swooped in like a guardian angel, almost single-handedly beating back Anti and his corrupted forces. The tide of the war turned, the trade routes slowly became passable once more. Detlas sprung forth from ruins and rubble into the grand Wynnic trade hub. Almuj markets slowly regained their color and noise. Nesaak citizens rejoiced without the fear of another lean winter. Boats docked once more in Nemract and began picking up the pieces of a shattered Metropolis. Anti still plagued the countryside, but Wynn residents could breathe again and could think further than one season in the future. Jack was elevated to near-godhood, an emblem province-wide of peace, hope, and prosperity. Sightings of Antiseptic dwindled, before disappearing altogether- though no one could say for certain that the horrid being was dead- and life continued on. This was not to last, however. Soon enough, Jack too disappeared. Some say he died to hungry Nesaak wolves, others doubt he could die at all. The only thing known for certain is that a week following his disappearance an enchanted tomb appeared in the frozen cliffside.’_ The dusty pages ran out beneath JJs fingers, and for several moments more silence reigned. 

“This is… this is a time of peace? This is an improvement? There can't… no…” For once, Jackie was lost for words. “Detlas… was entirely rebuilt. Nemract… this says it was a _Metropolis_ but… if Ragni is the last human foothold…” 

**_“Indeed. I have seen the ruins with my own eyes. One day, you will see them too. What Nemract once was. What Nemract could have been…”_ ** By this point, Marvin had begun to wander away, a feeble attempt to distract his mind from such gruesome thoughts. His fingers brushed over the spines of countless books, some leather covers embossed in gold leaf whilst others were barely held together by dusty twine. A label caught his eye, to a set of notes tucked between blueprints for the castle and what seemed to be old records of an aqueduct system. Sketches of staff movements and slightly archaic script stood out to him. Carefully extracting the papers revealed them to be spell instructions. _Teleport._

“Guys! Look at this!” was a reflexive call, snapping the rest of the party from their gloomy stupor. “There are spell instructions in here- go, look around, we might be able to find more!” This easily spurred Jackie into action, scouring the dusty shelves with a kind of desperate enthusiasm. Henrik too seemed intrigued, though his eyes were also drawn towards various history tomes. Chase and JJ joined in a more sedate, but no less engaged, manner. 

Soon enough, the others began finding similar notes.

“Chase! Over here! A spell for Archers!” was the first call, unsurprisingly from Jackie, who handed the shorter man a small bound notebook. Said Archer reciprocated, having spotted another stack of papers near smithing logs. JJ was soon absorbed in a notebook of his own, bound in black leather, whilst Henrik was found surrounded in texts and grimoires that looked as old as the entire group combined. Eventually, he decided on a medium-sized book that seemed to expound on the theories and history of Shamanism in Wynn. The group ended up having to drag their grouchy companion away from his new interest, back out into the vaulted halls of Ragni’s Castle.

They tumbled forth from the door hidden in the mural, only to find a familiar green spirit waiting for them. Jack - _Jack-_ beckoned them forward, bade them follow, as he drifted above plush carpeting, out into the midday sun. His translucent form seemed fainter in the more direct light, but it did not seem to sway the determined spirit. He led them Northwards, past shops and street markets full of people who didn't seem to see the phenomenon before them. He led them across gardens, and houses, and finally out of Ragni’s little-used Northern Gate. The adventurers tensed, reaching for their weapons as they stalked into the open area. The north gate continued to back up against the great mountain range dividing Wynn and Fruma, and here the corrupted seemed less prevalent. Oh, they were there, but it was nothing compared to the eternal siege of the main gates. Still, each fighter's blade was slick with blood by the time Jack's spirit finally paused. 

An old ruin lay before them, not too different from the other scattered remnants of various stone outer battlements strewn around the ragtag bunch. They crept after Jack as the glowing specter walked in, reaching out resting his ghostly green hand upon…

Jackie reeled back in shock, his stomach roiling and threatening to cause his breakfast to make a reappearance. _A skull_ . Chalk white and staring accusingly with empty black eye sockets. As the horrified heroes watched, the pile of rubble upon which the skull sat began to shift, other bones bursting forth from between worn rocks. Splintered legs mending together as if never broken, delicate wrist joints assembled from the crushed dust of tiny bone shards. Soon, the _thing_ could support itself. Each and every adventurer's hair stood on end, weapons drawn and threatening- was this how the armored skeleton fighters came to be? Had Jack himself been corrupted? But no, this skeleton made no move to attack, rather, turning to peer curiously at the necromancer who had summoned it forth.

 _“Could a ghost even be a necromancer?_ ” Jackie wasn't too sure if he wanted to know. He figured he could easily ask Marvin or Henrik, _“maybe later,”_ he decided. Their translucent guide linked his arm with the corpse, guiding her, Jackie guessed by the size of the skeleton compared to Jack’s spirit, out of the crumbling ruins, across the grassy hillocks towards Ragni and… a pipe? A large, grated off sewer pipe. Two hands, one green and one a faded white, rested upon rusting iron, and with an ominous creaking groan, the bars seemed to part before them, opening up the abyss within. Jack turned slowly as if drinking in the sight of the reanimated skeleton, reaching out to cradle the jaw in his hands. The spirit spoke once more, for the second time in recorded memory if the tales were to be believed, a light breath that somehow seemed to carry on the wind.

“Rest now, mother. Our time has passed.” With that simple utterance, the skeleton before them seemed to crumble into dust, drifting away on the wind. Jack himself looked over to the group of five staring in shocked wariness up at him. He silently waved them closer once more, before disappearing into the darkness he had unlocked. The group shared a meaningful, laden look. Chase was the one to break the silence that had once again fallen over them.

“That was... certainly something. So, do we follow? Or do we book it?” He asked blatantly. At this point, Henrik jumped in.

“For all that we just saw him raise the dead, he certainly has not harmed us so far. Not to mention the fact that, if anything the books in the secret library said is true, his first priority is protecting Ragni. For him to be leading adventurers registered with Ragni’s Guard into a death trap… it doesn't sound helpful.”

“But wait.” Pointed out Jackie “How do we know he hasn't been corrupted?”

“That. Is a very good point.” The archer responded.

“How does something get corrupted if it has no physical body?” Marvin asked absentmindedly, pulling out his notebook to jot down theories in.

 **_“First off, I mean, it's JACK, the hero of the province, vanquisher of evil. Furthermore, I'm frankly willing to settle for the fact that he hasn't attacked us outright yet. There’s nothing corrupted I’ve ever seen that has had this much independence, this much brain power. I’m not sure any blight since Antiseptic has had any sort of smarts, much less language capability.”_ ** Was JJ’s contribution. The others looked amongst themselves for a moment, nodding silently. The Assassin seemed to have a better grasp of how things worked here, and no one had any reason to doubt him by now. 

“So we’re doing this.” Jackie finalized, swerving around the rest of the group to make his way up the gravel-covered incline. The ominous darkness of the pipe beckoned from where it emerged from the cliffside. Heaving a deep breath to gather his courage, Jackie was the first to vault up into the pipe. A shiver raced down his back as he turned to lend a hand to Marvin. The two of them proceeded to haul up Schneeplestein, leaving only Jameson and Chase left. The archer stepped back, motioning that he would aid his shorter companion in reaching the pipe. The former barkeep sent him a sly grin, taking off at a dead sprint and leaping upwards, effortlessly levering himself into the pipe. Jackie took a moment, needing to figuratively pick his jaw up from the floor, absently noting that Chase and Marvin seemed equally dumbfounded, though Henrik just looked mildly impressed, the stuck up ass. The post acrobat, _seriously, how?_ Reached down to offer Chase a hand, breaking the man out of his stupor. A grin still covered his face, silently laughing at them all. 

Once they all stood in a frankly uncomfortable huddle, Henrik elbowed his way to the front of the group. As he passed, Jackie was able to catch the barest hint of muttering.

“Crazy adrenaline junkies, dragging me into this nonsense,” Of course, the warrior couldn’t leave this be.

“Oh, you’re just as guilty as the rest of us, Doc!” After all, the man seemed far too excited to have been ‘dragged’ into _anything_.

The sunlight began to fade away, growing more and more distant. Their footsteps echoing down the cavern. Each pensive breath curled in the humid air before them. The group was forced to slow as the bottom of the pipe became uneven and slippery. Jackie wanted to ask JJ what, exactly, this pipe probably led to, but the darkness had already swallowed all but the barest hint of the others' vague outlines. He would just have to hope it was water, rather than sewer sludge. Knowing his luck, it was probably the sludge.

A mumbled _“Shit!”_ from behind him broke the silence, repetitive footfalls becoming frantic scrabbling. With no warning whatsoever, Chase bowled forward, colliding with Jackie and JJ, knocking them into Henrik. Jackie desperately reached to grab onto something. “ _Come on, come on! I don't want to break my neck in a sewer pipe from hell!”_ He cursed when the only thing he managed to grasp onto was Marvins cloak, reeling the mage into the fray. Jackie braced for impact, only to feel his heart skip a beat when the ground didn't come. _“oh god.”_ He heard his own scream join the chorus of shrieks as the five adventurers plummeted downwards.

The fall lasted for both a split second and a terrifying eternity before the mass of tangled limbs crashed into the water. At first, it felt like a river, the cold shock knocking sense back into Jackie, who worked to help haul his compatriots onto the mossy stone brick ledge of the oddly cave-like room they had fallen into. His breath caught in his chest as he realized that he could _see_ again- and the exact reason for that stared down at him from where it floated, a few scant feet away. They had found Jack, for better or for worse Jackie wasn’t sure yet. The spirit turned away, ghosting back over to the structure in the center of the room- was that… a gravestone? Oh hell. He refused to deal with this alone.

“Everybody alright?” a round of grumbling assent greeted his ears. “Guys, you’re going to want to see this.” At this point, Marvin’s head snapped up- good, at least he seemed alright. The others were slightly slower but still seemed lively and unhurt. The motley crew drug themselves to their feet, JJ screwed up his face as he picked a glob of mossy goo off his shoulder. It was Henrik who crept forward towards the elaborate gravestone, before going a sickly pale exacerbated by the unsettling green light. He read aloud, his voice shaking ever so slightly as he side-eyed the ghost that had led them there.

“May the woman who died here in tonight's raid rest in peace. Though we did not know her name, her memory will live on through her son,” It was Chase who turned towards the specter now.

“This… this was your mother. The skeleton outside, that was the one who adopted you, wasn't it? You… were born down here.” A solemn nod. Jack now moved ever so slightly, illuminating more of the grave. The edge… was broken. Not caved in as if it had collapsed over time, no, this exploded _out_ . Jackie could see where there should have been a body, a skeleton, there was nothing. Nothing but terrifying gouges into the unyielding stone. Blood and a deep black ooze lay on the floor, trailing off into another tunnel. Jackie felt his stomach flip and squirm, horror welling up within him. _This_ was the result of a corrupted resurrection, not the tame and comparatively harmless show they had seen outside. A swift glance showed that Jameson’s head was bowed, his shoulders slumped in what seemed to be familiar grief. 

“Fix this,” was the ghostly command that froze the group. Causing both fear and hope to whirl in their chests like wildfire. A grand gesture caused long-abandoned wall-mounted torches to light, bathing the catacomb-like tunnels in an orange glow. Jackie turned, locking eyes with Chase. Together they gave a solemn nod, mirrored by their other three companions as Jack began to fade from view. The hero of the province had chosen them to put his mother to rest. They would not fail him now. 


End file.
